USOC says all will be well with Rio’s troubled Summer Games

Natalie Coughlin, who swam at Cal from 2001-2003, has won 12 medals in the past three Summer Olympics and says she isn’t concerned about risks at the Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Photo: Jae C. Hong, AP

BEVERLY HILLS — Concerns about the Rio Olympics are backing up like so many gawkers along Copacabana beach: There’s the Zika virus scare, the contaminated bodies of water at competition venues, economic and political crisis in the host country, incomplete infrastructure and looming doping scandals.

But 150 days before the Opening Ceremonies, the powers that be in the United States Olympic Committee made it clear that they believe everything will be fine.

“It’s going to look spectacular on television,” said USOC Chairman Larry Probst, speaking at an Olympic media summit in Southern California on Monday. “And I think it’s going to be a great environment for our athletes.”

Rio de Janeiro, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, is sure to look great for the viewer at home. But will it be a risky experience for the athletes competing — and for any fan choosing to make the trip?

‘Lots of moving pieces’

“Every single Games brings its own unique set of challenges,” said USOC Chief Executive Officer Scott Blackmun. “Zika virus and the water quality are serious issues and real issues, but they’re not unique in the sense that we face issues with every Games. They are a global event, with lots of moving pieces.”

That perspective — hey, we’ve been through this stuff before — was echoed by some of the athletes in attendance.

“I’ve been to the Olympic Games three times, and there’s always a story,” said former Cal swimmer Natalie Coughlin. “In 2004 (Athens), it was terrorism. In 2008 (Beijing), it was pollution.”

As a woman of child-bearing age, Coughlin, 33, is the kind of athlete who might be most impacted by the Zika scare: the mosquito-borne virus has been linked to thousands of cases of birth defects such as abnormal brain development.

“It is an issue,” Coughlin said. “But I’m not too overly concerned at this point.”

Athletes like Coughlin train themselves not to worry about things they have no control over. And the enormity of the issues currently plaguing Brazil is definitely beyond their control.

Athletes preparing

The USOC is putting together guidelines and recently formed an infectious disease advisory group with three physicians. But some of the onus for health and safety will be on the athletes themselves.

“I’m in a boat by myself,” said single scull rower Gevvie Stone. “It’s up to me to put my water bottle in a plastic bag and make sure it’s sealed. It’s up to me to wash my handles and use hand sanitizer. As senior athletes, we take that very seriously.”

Some rowers and sailors were sickened after recent competitions in the waters off Rio, and subsequent tests found that the water was filled with pathogens.

“They’ve taken steps to mitigate the pollution,” said Alan Ashley, the USOC chief of sport performance. “It’s getting better. It’s not perfect.”

Perhaps the biggest issue facing Brazil in terms of solving its Olympic issues is the economic and political chaos consuming the country. The 2016 Games were awarded in 2009, when Brazil had a robust economy. Seven years later, the country is mired in a deep recession. Any question about extra funding to combat Zika, to clean up water venues or to finish the subway extension promised to move fans during the Games has to first clear the maze of other problems.

President Dilma Rousseff is in the process of being impeached. She is largely blamed for what is called “the Crises” and unpopular after austerity measures. Her predecessor, the popular Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, was detained by police last week and is being investigated for corruption. The Olympics is far from the most pressing issue on most Brazilian’s minds. Funneling funds to the event is even less of a priority.

Additional concerns

There are Olympic issues external to Brazil that could also cast a pall over the Games. On Monday there were new allegations in the Russian doping scandal. A German documentary alleged that Russia continues to violate anti-doping rules despite being suspended by track and field’s governing body and facing the possibility of being banned from the Rio Games. In an unrelated development, Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova — who won the silver medal at the London Games — admitted to failing a drug test, putting her participation in Rio in question.

“It’s a global problem,” Blackmun said of doping. “The USOC and the international governing bodies are fiercely committed to clean competition.”

Doping. Dirty water. Disease. Debt. There are a lot of issues in Rio. But at least the Games will look fabulous on television.

Born in San Francisco and raised in Marin County, Ann Killion has covered Bay Area sports for more than two decades. An award-winning columnist and a veteran of 11 Olympics, several World Cups and the Tour de France, Ann joined The Chronicle in 2012. Ann has worked for the San Jose Mercury News, the Los Angeles Times and Sports Illustrated. She is a New York Times best-selling author, having co-written "Solo: A Memoir of Hope" with soccer star Hope Solo,"Throw Like A Girl" with softball player Jennie Finch and two middle-grade books on soccer, “Champions of Women’s Soccer” and “Champions of Men’s Soccer.” She was named California Sportswriter of the Year in both 2014 and 2017. She has two children and lives in Mill Valley.